S+S Gastro Grub Catering

Epic birthday party with Simone and Sebastian.
I met Simone and Sebastian years ago when I used to hang out with the OG Elite Unilocalers back in the day. It was nice to be around my tribe — who doesn’t want to talk about food all day long? They are «Living the dream» and doing what they love — and that shows in their food.
I wanted to have a memorable get together with friends for a dual birthday celebration and immediately thought of S+S Gastro Grub. As you can see from their pictures, they have lots of experience making some kickass paella. I’ve had my share of paella and that can be a hit of miss, but for my party they knocked it out of the park.
Simone and I emailed back and forth about the menu and I decided on their combo paella and 63 degree egg with creamy grits, kimchi purée and crispy pork belly. I also included bacon wrapped dates, harissa shrimp, kale salad, brussels sprouts and cookies and cream S’Mores.
They came on time, took over my kitchen and made the most incredible food! Everything they made was of the highest quality and flavorful.
I told friends who attended my party (who were mostly Unilocalers) that the food was Unilocal-​worthy, and I’ve been getting texts and pictures of how much they loved the food and that it was GLORIOUS.
Simone and Sebastian are the real deal. They are passionate about their creations and the care and artistry really shines through. I will use them again in the future when we have more reasons to entertain.

One of the finest meals I’ve ever had there was a breakfast menu that was prepared by Sebastian and Simone it was just outstanding it hit every single sense of smell pallet just overwhelmed it was just mmm good

Simone and Sebastian recently catered my Christmas Dinner Party at my home. This was the first time that I’ve hosted a catered party and they were a godsend! Amazing, delicious food and service and were so easy to work with! It was 5 star restaurant quality but in the comfort of my home. The paella was probably the best I’ve ever had in my life! And let’s not forget about the Uni spoons with potato purée! I will definitely be using them again!

Simone and Sebastian are food rock stars. I can’t stop thinking about this food. I love these guys and their team.
It’s been almost a month since our Daughters wedding. It was a large wedding with 300 people. This was a memorable meal. Made with the best ingredients and prepared with passion. You would not believe how many compliments we got on this food. It started at the reception and I’m still getting positive food comments weeks later.
Good food for this wedding was a priority for us. Both Families love food and our now Son-​in-​Law is a Chef. My daughters request of Simone in her first email was «we are looking for something a little different than rubber chicken» s+s gastro grub totally delivered. Simone & Sebastian have a fantastic crew that took care of everything. They are a well oiled machine and they managed all those little details that I had never given a thought to.
The menu was:
–Whole Roast Pig w/​Fresh Bell Mojo & Salsa Verde (the 3 Pigs were from Lone Willow Ranch)
–Veg Paella (I’ll share the picture of the pans lined up cooking.)
–Spicy Tomato & Fresh Corn Salad
–Pickled Watermelon Salad with Compressed Watermelon Rind.
It was all good!
Few technical details: These guys were great to work with. The services and options offered in their contract are clear and well thought out. You can add and take away services according to budget. My recommendation is SURRENDER all to them. Let them do what they do, from the Bar to the Food and even cutting and service of the Cake. Worth every penny.
We had 3 stations serving 300 people in about 30 – 40 minuets. (guests loved seeing the pigs carved at service)
Could’t ask for better.

Simone and Sebastian and crew catered our wedding at Panoramic Hills in June. We had a great experience working with them, and especially loved the food they made! Our guests still bring up how great the food was at our wedding. We did not have a formal tasting with S+S, but Simone let me know they were having a booth up in Sacramento, which is where I met them. Their cuisine is exactly what we were looking for, as we both have Chinese heritage but love Latin American culture and food, having studied in Guatemala and getting engaged in South America. Simone is from Hong Kong and her husband Sebastian is from Nicaragua, so I was super excited that they could make us roast pig and paellas and homemade tortillas all in one meal :)
Besides the food, S+S and their team did an excellent job at managing the rentals that we had to bring in and getting everything ready for the dinner reception. My wedding coordinators were not on top of it all, and I was so relieved when S+S came in and took over set-​up tasks. They were efficient and their staff held down the buffet and bar and and were fun and interacted with our guests.
As far as preparation beforehand, Simone gets pretty busy and she may take a few days to respond to e-​mails, but she is very thorough and accommodating throughout my many changes and follow-​up questions.
Thanks S+S for making our vision come true and being all-​around awesome people! We hope to have your food again very soon!

We used these guys for our last corporate event and it was a huge success. Not only did they cater to our vegetarian guests, all the colors in the vegetables and food displayed was personally hand picked and selected by the chefs themselves, S+S! They arrived early, quickly setup the tables, beautifully displayed and in no time, dinner was served! We just finished our first bottle of wine (hand selected by the chefs) before sitting down to our inviting table. The cobbler and toasted marshmallows was the perfect sweet ending with our dessert wine. Our guests could not be more relaxed and entertained and not to mention the food tasted absolutely amazing. I’m definitely using them for my girlfriends 30^th birthday party. If you want to have a experience you won’t forget, call these guys to help you with your next party.

«My good friend had a birthday party at the basement recently. I decided to show up early to help with the setup and do any last minute décor. Come to find out that he didn’t need help at all this time, he expressed his excitement as he had hired S & S Gastro Grub Catering. As I walked towards the kitchen, a couple in black T-​Shirt with a tree logo, was already prepping away. To my surprise, they were the Chefs/​owners of S&S, Simone and Seb!
They were hands-​on: setting up the equipment, displays and showcase, cropping, cooking, settings and tables. It’s quite entertaining to see them cook. As party continued and going strong, they announced that the dinner was ready. Quickly walked to the table, I was very pleased to see that they had 2 vegetarian dishes, the salad and the Paella. The salad looked fabulous, it was freshly made and tasted so yummy. The Panella was to die for… not only did it looked appealing, all the colors of the vegetable were so vibrant, not overly done and mushy, tasted amazing! After the first bite, I couldn’t wait to go for the second round. All the food were fabulous and was gone fast for the other guests all love it as well. Simone and Seb did represent, S&S Gastro Grub Catering, presenting us their passion and was on top of their game! They definitely have made a memorable Birthday event for my Friend and has pretty much booked themselves again for next year. As for me, I’ve already reserved them for my next party, a vegetarian birthday dinner party, who’s coming!» Lol

I can still remember the taste of my brunch after 12 hours and I will probably be dreaming about eating tonight.
I had brunch with Simone and Sebastian of S+S Gastro Grab at Feastly’s headquarters in San Francisco today. They mention that they usually do dinners @ Oakland and this is their first time doing brunch with Feastly.
Below is the brunch menu I had today and every dish was cooked to perfection, especially the Oat Porridge. We diligently licked off every morsel of food and drop of dressing on our plates.
Small Plate
Crispy Iceberg wedge, black-​eyed peas, market radishes, Green Basil Goddess Dressing
Entrée
Steel-​cut oat porridge, 63C Egg, pork belly, Szechuan Gastrique
Dessert
Lemon Posset*, Whiskey Roasted Cherries
*dish made of milk or cream, curdled by the admixture of wine, cider, or other acid, and often sweetened and flavored
I believe their menu changes quite a bit since they are a pop up but if you ever get a chance to try their oat porridge — definitely jump at the chance! so good.

I attended a foie gras pop-​up dinner at S+S last month, and honestly, it was one of the most enjoyable meals I’ve ever had. We enjoyed five savory courses plus dessert (foie ice cream… which was AMAZING — so creamy, and not icy at ALL). I loved how Simone and Sebastian fused cuisine from all around the world to create truly unique tastes and textures. You will NOT find food like this in any normal restaurant — it’s a truly one-​of-​a-​kind experience. My favorites were the foie soup dumplings and the trio of lettuce wraps, including duck bulgogi, seared foie, and kabocha squash. On top of everything, Simone and Sebastian were amazing hosts. They even made an entirely different menu for my pescetarian friend, who couldn’t eat most of the duck-​based dishes. If you have the chance to try a meal at S+S, whether it’s catered or one of their pop-​up dinners, you’ll be a happy diner, indeed.

Move over Pork and Roasted Pig — Here comes the Chanukah party!
S + S had gotten such great reviews and we had such a good personal interaction with Simone initially, that we were willing to risk having her cater our Jewish event, in spite of the fact that so many of her reviews featured their pig dishes — which, of course, are not Kosher, and we don’t eat any pork products.
Well, we certainly were not disappointed. S + S cooked the most flavorful, succulent brisket you could imagine — well, imagine it — there was one tiny sliver left over! We loved it, our guests loved it, and the side dishes were also tasty and beautifully presented. I would encourage you to look through all over their photographs and choose items from those (in addition to their menu) because they have a wealth of cooking talents. S + S are flexible in all ways and throwing a party with them as caterers is easy and enjoyable.
In addition to the actual food, a few noteworthy comments — Simone is exceptionally creative — with little notice and new greenery she can decorate the table and bar and make it look contemporary, seasonal, and delightful. Her food presentation is also quite lovely, especially the crudite planter boxes which add a special touch. Her communication is clear and she does not make any mistakes with ideas or recalling what we have discussed. In this day of instant communication, I would encourage her to be a little more speedy — but, when the response comes, it is always very thorough and well-​written. Another incredible plus are the staff that Simone and Sebastien hired. The bartender was superb — so friendly, easy-​going, and all of the guests adored her… the server was so efficient, everything was tended to and when we turned around the kitchen was spotless and everything was clean everywhere. (It was only sad, because it meant the party was over.)
S + S made our holiday party sweet, special, lively, delicious, and they added just the right touch. I would highly recommend them for any event.

Last year I finally had the opportunity to dine at an event held by S+S Gastro Grub, a feast prepared by the legendary talented duo of Simone and Sebastian. I actually have heard of them way back during the Eugepalooza and Jam With Your Clam Out fundraising days in SF (you know when Unilocal was more of a startup than the machine it is now), and salivated at many of their creations. And it was not until sometime last year that I was able to fully experience and understand what they can do.
I came with an open mind, and finished the meal feeling enlightened and invigorated.
Never have I tasted down home American food this compelling and brilliant!
We started off with a summer salad: of compressed Sharlyn/​Honeydew/​Sugar Kiss/​Watermelon, served with sous vide Pearl Onions, Espelette Pepper Oil, and Tapenade. The colorful arrangement and visual appeal alone catches one’s eye. This salad was a very delicate balance of not just fruit and vegetables, but also various textures, mostly from the compressed fruit where the intensity is magnified.
The hickory smoked macaroni & cheese left me craving for more after tasting it, and I am not much of a mac cheese fan. There was definitely a Béchamel /​Mornay sauce feel to the mac cheese. Absolutely gorgeous and stunning down to the taste.
The smoked for 12 hours beef brisket (with apple, hickory and pecan wood chips) was phenomenal. I dare say this is the best BBQ brisket I’ve had to date! The lamb belly ribs were incredible and quite the crowd pleaser that evening. Pulled pork made from pork butt? I had no idea BBQ could be done like this.
Charcoal Grilled Corn with sweet coconut cream sauce — a spin on a classic. Slathering butter on top of corn is tried and true, but S+S version of this made me appreciate corn in another light. This was really good.
Last but not least were some samples of oven roasted crispy pork skins. These were so delicious that it reminded me of many things, and almost had a fresh Japanese rice cracker (senbei) crispy element to it, but with the full aroma of a delectable piece of crispy skin (like the kind from a Cantonese roast pork).
In watching S+S prepare, plate, and serve the food, you can tell they give it not just their all, but they work really hard into doing things right their way. Now I understand what they mean by «Oakland Flava, Napa Roots». They really enjoy and are passionate about what they do. The results shine and speak for themselves.

I was looking for a local bay area caterer to cater my birthday and came across S+S i read so many of their reviews on Unilocal and knew they were the one. Simone and Sebastian and their staff were great very friendly and professional. Their food was amazing by far the best catering company I have ever seen. Their seafood paella was amazing the seafood was so fresh and delicious, all of my guest who attended my party are still talking about their food. I will defiantly be contacting S+S again for another event. Thank you again Simone and Sebastian for your amazing food and great hospitality.

I was lucky enough to have S+S Gastro Grub cater my company’s holiday party and I cannot say enough good things about them and their food, but I am going to give it a try.
I started at the company about 4 months ago, and when I was approached o help plan the holiday party (at a co-worker’s house in the Mission) I was nervous. Apparently the party that was catered last year was just ok, people left hungry. Well, I wanted to avoid that scenario as much as possible and decided to contact S+S to see if they could help me out.
The first thing that struck me was the menu, so much variety, while still adhering to their motto of «oaktown flava. napa roots.» (I also really wanted to use a local small business for our party.) We made our decisions for the menu, I wiped the drool from my mouth, and eagerly anticipated trying these dishes. Oh, I almost forgot to mention how good the pricing was too.
Well, the night of the party came, and S+S were fantastic! The staff were super friendly and professional, they could not have been better. The food was incredible. We had selected a few hors d’oeuvres, including the avocado toast w/​cilantro olive oil and smoked black salt, pine nuts coated goat cheese, honey and baguette, saucy asian pork meatballs and tuna tartare on a plantain chip. My personal favorites were the beef skewer with ginger scallion sauce and the scallop lollipop with wasabi-​tarragon aioli — SO GOOD. We also had two paellas — seafood and vegetarian, also totally scrumptious.
Everyone who was there loved the food and absolutely no one went hungry. S+S was fantastic, professional and the food was just to die for. If you are looking for a caterer, look no further!

I can’t get over how lucky we are to have met S+S Gastro Grub! I was doing the usual when shopping for wedding vendors, and their photos and reviews on Unilocal put them high on my list of places to taste. Simone contacted me soon after I filled out the form on their website, and it was super easy to set the date and pick out a menu rivaling any dinner I’ve ever had. We paid a very reasonable price to have 8 people taste 11 dishes, and they applied that credit to the final catering bill. I would gladly pay for that meal again any day, and we had leftovers that were KILLER!
We were pretty sold when we walked out, but we tried a couple of other places just to be logical about the whole thing. It was a no-​brainer though, the food quality and preparation at S+S is exactly the kind that we like in our life: Fresh, sustainable/​local, multi-​ethnic, interesting flavor combinations, not to mention beautifully presented. I also requested that they prepare my aunt’s recipe for Vietnamese fried eggrolls and dipping fish sauce as an appetizer, and that was not a problem (I sent them the recipe and they had us come in and try them to make sure that it tasted right). We had over 200 guests with multiple food restrictions, but because the food is just so freakin’ amazing and versatile, the vegan, vegetarian, gluten-​free and dairy free options were never a burden. We ended up serving much of what we tasted to make our dream boat New-​American-​Mexican-​Vietnamese menu (more info below).
Simone and Sebastian really worked with us to ensure that their wonderful menu could succeed with our budget, and they helped us find ways to save money in other aspects of our planning as well, since they have a lot of experience catering large events. They really made a difference in taking charge with the rental company (we had to rent everything to make a small kitchen for outside cooking at our venue), and their staff provided superb service keeping the hors d’oeuvres and buffet stocked throughout the night, refilling drinks at tables, and staying on top of discarded drinks/​plates/​trash. I definitely plan to use S+S to cater future parties and private dinners, and I got on their mailing list so that I can stalk them at local wine events when they make their fantastic paella and roast pig so that I can get my fix in the meantime.
In short — I can’t rave enough about these people and their food! I’m hungry now and wish they had a restaurant I could go to…
Apps: Vietnamese fried eggrolls (also available vegan), bacon wrapped medjool dates+goat cheese+honey (in permutations to suit all the food restrictions I mentioned), and fried cheese+pickled onions
Salads: Pickled watermelon rind+compressed watermelon+greens+onions, and romaine hearts+almonds+chives+green goddess dressing
Entrees: Veggie paella, and kalua pork
Sides: Sweet bananas+black bean purée+cream, corn+cheese+cream, and brussels sprouts+pancetta+secret ingredient (fish sauce!!)
Dessert: Chocolate pudding (we also hired a churro cart, so imagine a cup of pudding with a churro sticking out of it — heaven)

Simone and Sebastian are a lovely couple who I’ve had the pleasure of knowing for about five years now — and they just catered our wedding this last weekend!
Getting straight to the point, the food was a HIT! Even days later, comments from various wedding guests raving about how impressed they were by the delicious food served continue to be received. I have the feeling that many of our engaged friends, who were in attendance, will likely consider using their services soon enough!
Another thing — food and catering services aside, Simone helped me tremendously with a lot of wedding preparation in general. She listened to my concerns about family drama, not having enough wine, and et cetera. She basically served as a wedding therapist in many ways, so to speak!
I would recommend S+S Gastro Grub to anyone and everyone. I’m not sure if I’ll have another 100+ person event to have catered, but I’m hoping to find an excuse for another pig roast ;)

Amazing food! We hired Simone and Sebastian to cater our parents 40^th Anniversary and we cannot say enough about the food. The Paella was one of the best we had; overflowing with an abundance of huge wild shrimp and clams. The roast pig was perfectly crisp on the outside and succulent juicy on the inside. 4 months later and we are still getting great feedback about these two from all of our friends and family.
I cannot wait to hire them again and S+S i promise this time around it will be at our home in Walnut Creek and not the hills of Moraga :) Sorry for having you and your staff hike up and down (with all of your equipment) the hilly driveway at my parents home.

Simone and Sebastian are amazing culinary talents. I give them 5stars for their cooking prowess, their catering skills, and their customer service. S+S Gastro Grub catered my 40^th bday party, and they made it memorable.
Folks are still talking about the perfectly roasted pig, along with the masterful seafood paella, and the amazing desserts .(they made me a life long fan of posset)
My party was seamless, and I thank S+S Gastro Grub for coming through with the masterful catering. I highly recommend them to cater your next home, corporate, special event.

I don’t recall how it came about, but I’ve been following S+S on both Facebook and Instagram for some time now. Everytime I see their photos, I salivate. One thing I’ve noticed about their catering, is that is never the same thing and everything looks so eclectic. This past Saturday, I was finally able to experience S+S and it was glorious. My friends had a pig roast at their place, which included seafood paella. Everything was amazing. The pig was damn good. Chop Bar pig roast are now a thing of the past for me. Straight up the best pig I’ve had. The desserts were just as good.
Whenever I need a caterer in the future, S+S will be the first on my list.

I wanted an innovative Oakland (go Oakland!) caterer for my hubby’s bday party. The food was delicious and impeccable and the presentation and service were awesome. From the 63-​degree egg, pork belly and kim chee bowls, and the mini grilled cheese and tomato soup shots; to the beef and portobello sliders and espresso/​latte bar, Simone and Sebastian had our guests swooning! Not to mention, they left our kitchen spotless! P. S. If you order the gorgeous crudités, the green goddess dressing is to die for! Nom, nom, nom. ..

In my experience, Sebastian and Simone (s+s) can do basically anything in the kitchen. Their pig roasts are legendary, but more recently, they’ve cooked up some of the most inventive paellas I’ve ever had.
At a recent event I attended, they served up a paella topped with 48-​hour short ribs, beef tongue, oxtails, and tendon, and it was served with horseradish aioli. It was one of the most delicious, complex, and addictive things I’ve ever put in my mouth, especially if you got some tendon. At this same event, they made a paella that featured both uni, Dungeness crab, and quail eggs, but I’d take the beefy paella over that any day.
I know they’ve done a lot of weddings recently, and I only wish that I had been invited to those receptions because I’m confident that an s+s catered wedding is some of the best wedding food you’ll ever have. Seriously, when was the last time you went to a wedding and raved about the food?
Our wedding reception was an awesomely beefy event at Lawry’s in Beverly Hills nearly 10 years ago, and everyone raved about the food and the experience. (Lawry’s kills HoPR, IMHO) But if we were getting married today, I’d want s+s gastro grub to do a pig roast and paella instead. I can’t think of a more ideal menu that would make us and our mostly Filipino guest list happy. Just don’t ask for Mang Tomas… Simone’s sweet and spicy rum bbq sauce is all you need.

I just came home from Eat Real Festival at Jack London Square in Oakland, where I first met S+S Gastro Grub. I’m very drawn to gastreo pubs but I rarely find them locally! So boy was I happy to find them!
The staff were super friendly and they’ve only been doing this for a little under a year. They do catering parties too! I was speaking with Sid and he told me this (super nice guy!). I’m so happy to see more mom and pops local businesses popping up!
Here’s what I had:
«BACON & EGGS» — $ 4
63-​degree egg, crispy pork belly, kimchee purée
This tapas-​style portion bundle was exquisite. The egg looks half poached and semi raw but it was like the sauce to my unctuous and cripsy pork belly I was dip it in! And to compliment the salty greasy yummy savory is the sweet and a tiny bit tangy with a tiny subtle kick kimchee that is pureed.
I loved the portion since everything was quite rich! For all you pork and egg lovers out there… this is a must try! YUM!